Gravel

[Piney]

Roadsides here are gravel that washes into intersections. I've raced bicycles across the stuff and know about how much I can turn on it safely. I want to know just how the motorcycle handles it.

What I WANT to do is find a large paved parking lot with gravel on it and practice gentle turns.

Does this sound to you like sensible learning or am I just asking to put the bike down needlessly?

[bikeguy joe]

You are asking to put the bike down needlessly.

It's good that you want to know the limits, but you don't want to risk a broken ankle/turn signal/scraped paint/pies/ect. do you? I'll say that gravel can put you down in a heartbeat if you are turning and have the front brakes on- same for sand and even oil in the intersections.

A bike is not a bicycle when things go bad, one weighs 30 lbs. the other 400. Even at intersection speed, once you start going down and stick a leg out, your leg is about as useful as a pretzel.

[Kal]

I've got to agree with Joe here,

Gravel caused me to put to my baby down at fairly low speed and broke my arm into the bargain.

I'd suggest the best strategy is probably to be try to avoid it, if you cant try not to steer heavily or brake heavily on it and not put yourslef or your bike at anymore risk than you have to.

[dreambike05]

Good question and pretty wise answers, too... I'm learning, too. REally have to be wary bout gravels and intersections.

[Mag7C]

Gravel is my #1 enemy on a paved road. On an all-gravel road it's not as bad.

I wrecked my old bike braking in a straight line after they put that red cinder stuff all over the road to help traction . As soon as I started to squeeze the front brake, Whoop! the bike slid out and down we go.

Around here I don't take corners at high speed unless I'm used to the road and know how fast I can go and still have room to maneuver within the lane. Or if I can see all the way through the turn and it's clear. Gravel shows up in the worst places.

My advice is if you see it's going to be in your path at an intersection, slow down before you get there and make the turn with no lean. For me this means go about 5 mph through the turn.

If it's at a stop sign, finish the major braking before you get there, and then gently ease on the rear brake to complete the stop.

Don't ever ever ever use the front brake on gravel unless you're about to hit a little kid!

People will drive up your tail while you're doing this but just take it easy. I'm willing to sacrifice any amount of their time if it means not wrecking my bike.

[9000white]

the way to deal with gravel is to stay out of it.been down twice because of it.

[Itzamna]

I've found that you just don't let off the gas. The tire will slide out many times doing this, but it will be able to regain the traction once it hits the plain pavement easier this way. It looses a lot more when you try slowing down through it.

[Craig7220]

Bikes and gravel aren't a good combination. Its put me down a few times, and its something I'm always looking for in a turn or intersection.

[macktruckturner]

I experienced that last night, on my first real ride w/ my new SV650S. My Dad pulled off the road, into a gravel/dirt parking lot to talk to me, I followed, and immediately had to remember everything about dirt riding I'd forgotten in years of driving cages. I thought I was going to put her down for sure, but managed to keep it upright. I'll avoid dirt/gravel unless I'm properly equipped (read: Dirt Bike/DualSport)